Process of treating hide in the manufacture of counter-stiffeners



(No Model.)

W. METOALF.

PROCESS OF TREATING HIDE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COUNTER STIFFENERS. No. 252,688. Patented Jan. 24,1882.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR i I l zywv di V 3%? ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. METCALT, OF BROOKLYN, NET/V YORK.

PROCESS OF TREATING HlDE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COUNTER-STIFFENERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,688, dated January 24, 1882. Application filed May 28,1881. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAMH. METCALF, of Brookl n, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented'a new and Iniproved Process of Treating Hide in the Mannfacture ot' (Jounter-Stiffeners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the fabric to be treated, and Fig. 2 a perspective View of the same when formed in shape of a counter-stiffener.

In the manufacture of boots and shoes it is necessary to interpose between the quarter and the lining an extra piece of leather or other material to impart the requisite rigidity to the back and sides of the boots or shoes. These pieces or counter-stift'eners have been made of leather, india-rubber, metal, pasteboard, hide, and other materials. WVhen made of hide, as heretofore, they have been obj ectionable for the reason that they absorb moisture and become soft.

The object of my invention is to render hide counters water-proof, so that they shall retain their rigidity under all circumstances; and the invention consists in aprocess of treating the hide whereby that object is obtained.

The process is as follows: The hide, after being unhaired by usual processes, is first treated by soaking in dilute sulphuric acid to remove the lime remaining from the unhairing This treatment should continue for about six hours, more or less, or until all the lime is removed, care being taken not to continue it too long, so that the hide shall not be made brittle. The hide is then partially dried while in a stretched condition. By means of dies the pieces for the counters are then cut out. The shape of such pieces is -.shown at Fig. 1 in the accompanying drawings, and they will vary in size according to the size of-counters to be made. After being cut to shape the counters are preferably soaked in an aqueous solution of shellac and borax, which has the effect to fill the pores and plump the hide; but this may be omitted, as it is not essential tothe subsequent waterproofing process. They are then molded to the required shape for the counters, as shown in Fig. 2, by pressure in suitable molds.

For waterproofing the counters I make a. solution consisting of the following materials in about, the proportions named: parat'fine, one pound; benzine, one gallon; boiled linseed-oil or some other drying-oil, t'our ounces. This solution is heated to about boiling temperature and the counters dipped in it. The benzine and oil penetrate and carry the paraffine, which without a suitable vehicle could not be made to penetrate and saturate the hide. The eifect of this treatment is to fill the pores and saturate the hide so that it cannot absorb moisture. After drying the counters treated in this manner are stiff, and, if desirable, they may be coated with shellac.

I am aware that counter-stiffeners have been made of hide; but they have not been, to niy knowledge, made water proot'.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The hereinbeforedescribed process for treating. or waterproofing hide counterstilfeners, which consists in saturating with a'solution of benziue,paraffine, and drying oil, as set'f'orth.

2. The composition for waterproofing hide counter-stifteners, consisting of paratfine, benzine, and linseed-oil, in the proportions substantially as specified.

WM. H. METOALF.

Witnesses:

- GEO. D. WALKER,

0. SEDGWICK. 

